BOOK REVIEWS
scientists (some would call them lapdogs) denied there were any problems even as abandoned plastic fishing nets continued to indis - criminately kill wildlife. Abandoned nets disintegrate into “millions of plastic bread crumbs of microplastic particles” that find their way into the stomachs of sea birds and marine life. It is possible to attach identification codes onto the nets and hold the owners responsible for the harms, which could possibly deter their use and cavalier abandon- ment. Toss or Conserve: What Constitutes a Good Design? The book also details how the Depression-era ethic of conserva - tion “where nothing was wasted gave way to ad-driven consumerism, planned obsolescence, and throwaway living.” Then “the environ- mental movement of the late 1960s through the 1970s took note of the destructive consequences and the trash blowing across fields and highways.” However, an industry-sponsored ad campaign effectively blamed plastic pollution on the consumer, once again “deflecting at - tention away from producer responsibility and product design,” with no challenge from the public. Communities throughout the country have bought into the industry’s sound bites (some call them lies) by creating and funding municipal efforts such as recycling. The lessons in this engaging and well-written guide for consum- ers are easy to understand and to incorporate, but the impetus needs to be collective to make a difference. “Good science makes effective watchdogs. Very few companies in the United States want used plas - tics. Of the 78 million tons of plastic used for packaging in 2013, only 14 percent was recovered for recycling. Four percent of that is lost in processing, 8 percent is downcycled into inferior products. That leaves 2 percent, or 1.5 million tons of the original volume brought back into the loop. The other 86 percent not captured for recycling is burned, buried, or washed out to sea. Ending the destruction of our water sources and the wildlife within them must be at the top of our list of actions and demands. Designing “for longevity and fixability, reuse before recycling, and making things easy to dismantle all constitute good design. Designers should visit end-of-life facilities, so they can see the difference between planning for material resources or for waste. When waste-to-energy seems to be the collective corporate end-of-life plan, incentives to achieve a circular economy are undermined.” The excellent index the book includes also merits praise.
lovely book to read to and with children; and it reflects the mission of Storey Publishing “to encourage personal independence in harmony with the environment.” Including the Acknowledgments , every page matters. Tammi Hartung is a medicinal herbalist and a certified organic grower. She explains how incorporating wildlife as part of a food-gar- den ecosystem means that they will “pollinate your plants, feed on pests, and leave behind manure to nourish your soil.” She describes her garden as “a peaceful place where perennials attract pollinators, ponds house slug-eating bullfrogs, mulch protects insects in the soil, mint gently deters unwanted mice, and hedgerows shelter and feed” these diverse and important critters. Tammi learned to respect, observe, and appreciate wildlife from her maternal grandmother. She describes her grandmother’s special relationships with wild animals and how “they always seemed to ac- cept her as part of their world. I remember when a mother raccoon brought her family into the backyard and waited for my grandmother to step out onto the porch and coo over the little ones. After receiving her praise, the mother raccoon herded her children off.” The book stresses the importance of observation and the useful- ness of a large magnifying glass “to see what is happening in a very small wildlife community, such as a handful of soil.” Keeping a journal records important lessons for the present and the future. Her sugges - tions also include: Hire an Earthworm, Build a Healthy Soil Commu - nity, Good and Bad Neighbors, Cozy Companions, Herbs That Attract and Repel, and the need to Plant a Surplus and Share Some with the wildlife.
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The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Food in Harmony with Nature By Tammi Hartung ; Illustrations by ©Holly Ward Bomba 2014; Storey Publishing: MA 143 pp (PB); $16.95 ISBN 978-1-51212-055-3
The GardenDC podcast is all about gardening in the greater Washington, DC, and Mid- Atlantic area. The program is hosted by Kathy Jentz, editor of Washington Gardener Magazine, and fea- tures guest experts in local and national horticulture. The latest episodes include interviews with experts on boxwood, bay-wise landscapes, persimmon trees, and viburnum. You can listen online at https://washingtongardener. blogspot.com/ or wherever you get your podcasts — Spotify, Apple, etc.
The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City Due out on April 11 By Kathy Jentz and Teresa Speight Published by Cool Springs Press/Quarto Homes Pre-order it today at: https://amzn.to/3yiLPKU
This book is dedicated to the Earth and all the lessons she teaches me. ~ Tammi Hartung The warm and engaging illustrations in this book create a wonder- ful path for connecting children to nature and to their food. It is a
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PATHWAYS—Summer 22—67
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